When I was in Qin Dynasty, I really didn't want to make progress

"Here they come. This time, not to mention that the main force of the Zhao army is not in Handan, even if it is in Handan, they will not be able to withstand Wang Jian, Huan Xi and Yang Duanhe." Yang Chong said.

The lineup of the Qin army this time was very powerful. Wang Jian was a great general, needless to say, and Huan Qi was also a rare general. In the original historical weirdness, if he had not met Li Mu, his fame would have been even greater. After all, since Meng Ao, for a long time, the title of Qin's first general did not belong to Wang Jian, but to him.

Combining his past memories with the intelligence he had gathered now, Yang Chong knew that Wang Jian and Huan Xi were now almost on the same level. As the older generation of Qin generals such as Meng Ao grew older, they had become the leading figures in the Qin army.

Moreover, it can be seen from the arrangements made by King Zheng of Qin that in his heart he was actually closer to Huan Ji. In this war, King Zheng of Qin arranged Wang Jian in the direction of Yanyu, but arranged Huan Ji in the direction of Yecheng. Although the two men led the same troops and had the same military positions, there was a huge difference between them.

The place of Yanyu is located in a mountainous area, easy to defend but difficult to attack. In the past, the Qin army was defeated by the Zhao army here and suffered heavy casualties. It was also because of this war that Zhao She became famous and became a famous general. But as the saying goes, everything goes around in circles. In the future, Zhao She's son Zhao Kuo was defeated by the Qin army in Changping, which almost led to the demise of the Zhao State.

Yanyu is a very magical place. It can be said that without Yanyu, Zhao She might not have been able to rise to power. And if Zhao She had not risen to power, Zhao Kuo probably would not have become a staff general who was only good at talking about military affairs on paper.

Of course, none of this matters now. What matters is that it is not easy to make achievements in a place like Yanyu, but it is different in Yecheng and Anyang. The nine cities in Ye are located to the north of the river and to the south of the Zhang River. They are located on a plain and are easy to attack but difficult to defend. Moreover, Anyang once belonged to Qi State, and Yecheng was ceded to Qin State by Wei State not long ago. Zhao State's rule over these places is not stable. When the Qin army attacks at this time, there are even more variables.

In Yang Chong's guess, Wang Jian and Huan Hei were both generals in this war, but in the next few years, Huan Hei became the general of Qin and led Qin to fight against the Zhao army. He was invincible along the way and became famous for a while. Until he met Li Mu, he used his years of accumulation to become Li Mu's Wu'an Jun. It was also during that time that Wang Jian came to power and Huan Hei retreated to the second line.

"It is precisely because of this that you will have more room to display your abilities." Zi Nu said. She could feel Yang Chong's eagerness to try.

"That's right, but this time I may have to help that old guy Wang Jian. I don't know whether his early promotion is a good thing or a bad thing." Yang Chong murmured.

A person like Wang Jian, working together with the Qin army, is simply an unstoppable existence. It may not be difficult to remain undefeated, but even Li Mu cannot win the battle.

Chapter 205 The world has changed

Zi Nu looked at Yang Chong in front of her. She saw solemnity in Yang Chong, and his solemnity came from the name Wang Jian.

"Is Wang Jian really that powerful?" Zi Nu asked.

"Wang Jian's cooperation with the Qin army is unbeatable, just like the cooperation between Li Mu and the Zhao border cavalry. The war in the next twenty years will belong to his era. To be honest, I really have the urge to kill him before he becomes really famous." Yang Chong said.

Wang Jian led the Qin army and conquered Wei, Zhao and Chu among the six kingdoms in the next ten years. This was simply unstoppable. And this was only the limit that King Zheng of Qin allowed him to achieve, not Wang Jian's own limit. He might not be as good at fighting impossible wars as Li Mu, but his integrity made him invulnerable.

It may not be difficult for a person to remain undefeated in front of Wang Jian, but it is extremely difficult to defeat him. Wang Jian is a flawless person, and King Zheng of Qin and the national strength of Qin make the Qin army flawless. A flawless general cooperating with a flawless army, even Li Mu would feel hopeless of victory.

This was the case in the original trajectory. Li Mu seemed to have fought against the Qin army led by Wang Jian several times without being defeated, but it was only Li Mu who was able to hold on, not the Zhao army, let alone the Zhao State.

"The Qin State has had many famous generals, and the Qin Army is also one of the best in the world. It is indeed a difficult opponent to defeat." Zi Nu said.

The State of Qin was a sword hanging over the heads of the six nations. When Yang Chong decided to take the current path, he would inevitably confront the State of Qin. Whether it was Wang Jian or Huan Xi, Yang Chong would have to face them sooner or later.

"But it's interesting precisely because of this. If the opponents are all incompetent people like Ji Wuye, wouldn't it be too boring?" Yang Chong said. He would not look down on any opponent, but he would not have any psychological burden because of the strength of his opponent. For the people in this world, the only thing he really cares about is their name. As for other things, who would be afraid of who?

"War is not a personal contest." Zi Nu reminded.

In Zi Nu's cognition, the complexity of war is not something that ordinary people can imagine, and it is not something that can be understood by reading a few military books. Although Yang Chong's martial arts are high and his intelligence is incomparable to ordinary people, as the saying goes, every different profession has its own mountain. It is hard to say whether Yang Chong, who has never had experience in leading troops in combat, can be competent for this task.

Moreover, this battle was against the most powerful Qin army in the world, so one can imagine how difficult it was.

You have to know that even Zhao Kuo, who was only good at talking about military affairs on paper, had combat experience far beyond his peers. Zhao Kuo's ignorance was only relative to a peerless warrior like Bai Qi. But Yang Chong was different. In terms of experience, Yang Chong was even worse than Zhao Kuo. Zi Nu couldn't help but worry about this.

"Don't worry, I know what to do." Yang Chong replied confidently. To this world, he is a supernatural being, and supernatural powers are to do things that people in this world can't even imagine.

"I'm going to gather troops." Yang Chong left the county magistrate's mansion amid Zi Nu's worry.

Yang Chong could not intervene in the Yanyu front that Wang Jian was in charge of, but he could intervene in Yecheng and Anyang that Huan Qi was attacking.

Yecheng and Anyang have been developed by the State of Wei for many years. The story of Ximen Bao governing Ye was left behind. Unlike the vast and sparsely populated areas of Raoan, the areas of Yecheng are densely populated and have developed agriculture. In Yecheng alone, there are more than 10,000 households, with a total of 80,000 to 90,000 people. The population of one city is more than half of that of Jibei County.

What Yang Chong had to do next was to snatch food from the tiger's mouth, taking advantage of the power of Qin, the decline of Zhao, and the collapse of King Yan of Zhao, to take the nine cities of Ye, and then expand his strength to swallow up Qi.

While Yang Chong was waiting, the Qin army finally took action. Along the river line, from Hedong, Shangdang, to Dongjun, more than 100,000 Qin troops suddenly launched an attack on Zhao.

King Zhao Yan was suddenly awakened from his sweet dream.

"What?" In the Zhao Palace, Zhao Wangyan unconsciously loosened his hand holding the military report. At this moment, his heart was already in turmoil.

The Qin State actually tore up the alliance at this time and launched an attack on the Qin State while the Zhao army was attacking the Yan State with all its strength.

King Yan of Zhao was filled with shock and anger, and could no longer control his rage. But then he was filled with fear. At this time, most of the Zhao army was in the State of Yan, and it would be difficult for them to return to support in a short period of time. What should he do?

In grief and anger, King Yan of Zhao could only hastily summon all the generals and Prime Minister Guo Kai. He had no other thoughts at the moment. The most important thing was to think of remedial measures as soon as possible.

At this time, Guo Kai also had a similar mood to Zhao Wangyan.

"Dun Ruo, you old thief, have caused me so much trouble." Guo Kai, who also got the news from another channel, felt cold all over. He was the one who facilitated the alliance with Qin, but now Qin was breaking its promise and taking advantage of the opportunity when Zhao's elite troops were away to attack Zhao. If Zhao had any misfortune, he would be blamed.

Guo Kai felt that he could not bear the blame for this.

In anxiety, the eunuch of Zhao Palace brought the order from King Yan of Zhao.

When Zhao State fell into chaos, the Qin army's attack was advancing rapidly. The Yanyu line was in danger under the attack of Wang Jian's Qin army. Except for Yecheng and Anyang, the other seven cities in the vast land south of Zhang River were all captured by the Qin army.

Once the Qin army broke through Yanyu, the west side of Handan would be exposed to the Qin army's offensive. Once the Qin army broke through Yecheng, Yecheng would become the front line of the Qin army's attack on Zhao, and the southern Great Wall of Zhao would be directly exposed to the Qin army's attack range. At this time, the Zhao army was slowly withdrawing to Zhao due to the entanglement of the Yan army.

Amidst one defeat after another, King Yan of Zhao fell ill. Being extremely lustful, he took too many tonics. Previously, the hidden dangers could be suppressed and reconciled under the treatment of the imperial physician. But when the Zhao army's repeated failures made him fall into irritability and anxiety, the Yin Fire that had been accumulated in his body for a long time could finally not be suppressed, and it broke out all at once, directly destroying his body.

"How is the king's health?" In the Zhao Palace, Guo Kai looked at the extremely haggard Queen Zhao in front of him. His heart sank to the bottom. He had not had a good life during this period.

At present, under the pressure of the Qin army, the State of Zhao has no time to pursue his responsibility. Once the war is over, his good days will be over.

The sudden attack by the Qin army would inevitably cause great damage to the State of Zhao. Who would be responsible for the defeat? It certainly could not be King Yan of Zhao. As for others, whether they were qualified enough to resist, it could only be Guo Kai.

Thinking of the orders he might receive, Guo Kai felt particularly depressed. Although he had lived in poverty and suffered hardships, he had long been accustomed to a life of luxury over the years. If he were to live his previous life again, it would be like asking for his life.

Moreover, if I am not careful, I may not be able to return to the simple life I once had.

"The king is not in good health, I'm afraid..." Queen Zhao said worriedly. She was a woman from a prostitute family and she was able to become the queen of a country entirely relying on the favor of Prince Zhao. Once Prince Zhao was gone, even if her son was the crown prince, it would still be a problem whether she and her son could continue.

Her roots were too shallow. She didn't have a strong maternal family, her son was too young, and she didn't have a group of loyal subjects. Once something happened to King Yan of Zhao, she and her son would be like rootless duckweed. Not to mention ascending the throne of Zhao, it would be a luxury for them to even be able to keep their lives.

Therefore, no matter what the future holds, Queen Zhao knows very well that she must win over Guo Kai. Fortunately, Guo Kai is also in trouble now and he also needs her help.

The only thing the two can do now is to cooperate. Only by cooperating can they save their lives and everything they have in the chaos after the death of King Yan of Zhao.

"Queen, the Qin army is attacking more and more fiercely. If anything happens to the king, we must be prepared." Guo Kai said worriedly. Everything was apparently fine, but he never thought that everything would change.

"What can I, a woman, do? I still have to rely on the Prime Minister." said Queen Zhao.

"My Queen, please comfort the King. Although the current situation is dangerous, there is still a way out." Guo Kai said. He came here to save himself.

"What do you mean?" Queen Zhao's eyes lit up when she heard that. If the war situation could take a turn for the better, Prince Zhao's condition might also be alleviated.

It was not until this moment that Queen Zhao realized how important Prince Zhao was to her. As long as Prince Zhao was alive, she was the Queen of Zhao and her son was the Crown Prince of Zhao. Once Prince Zhao was gone, everything she had would no longer be safe, including her life.

"Zhao State still has an army now, which may be able to resolve the crisis in Ye City." Guo Kai said.

"What did the Prime Minister say?" Queen Zhao asked in surprise.

At present, Zhao's elite troops were trapped in Yan State, and the troops that Handan could mobilize were defeated by the fierce attacks of the three Qin armies. How could Zhao have troops to resist the Qin army's attack? However, Guo Kai was not aimless in this matter. He could not afford the charge of deceiving the emperor.

"Jibei County, Yang Chong has been in Jibei County for more than a year. During this period of time, everything he has done has been centered around building up the army. As far as I know, after a year of management, he can mobilize almost 20,000 troops in Jibei County. If this 20,000 troops can be mobilized into Yecheng, it will definitely save Yecheng from danger. As long as Yecheng is not lost, Zhao State will not be considered to have suffered a disastrous defeat." Guo Kai spoke quickly. This was one of the few ways he could think of to save himself.

"Can Yang Chong really save Yecheng from danger?" Queen Zhao asked doubtfully. She only knew that Yang Chong was very strong, but she was not sure whether Yang Chong was good at war.

"The only thing we have to do now is to find him." Guo Kai said firmly. This was the only solution he could think of. No matter if it worked or not, he had to try it. Right now, he had to save himself.

"Would he be willing to confront the Qin army directly because of us at this time? I know the special nature of Jibei County. It may not be easy to mobilize him." Even though she already had a deep cooperative relationship with Yang Chong, Queen Zhao did not think that Yang Chong and his troops could be easily mobilized.

"If Yang Chong wants to restore his country, he still has a lot to rely on from the queen. If the queen summons him, he can't just ignore it. Besides, we have to give it a try. Even if we fail, it won't be worse than the current situation." Guo Kai's analysis made a lot of sense.

"What the Prime Minister said makes sense. I will tell the king about it right away." Queen Zhao nodded.

"In that case, I'll have to trouble the Queen." Guo Kai did not take credit for it. Right now, Prince Yan of Zhao was seriously ill, and the only one who stayed by his side all day was the Queen of Zhao. Even for him, the Prime Minister, it was not easy to see Prince Yan of Zhao.

The Queen of Zhao, who is staying by King Yan's side, is very important in the power puzzle in Handan at this time. After all, she is the king's woman and can know King Yan's will at the first time. But at this moment, the same news, knowing it a moment earlier or a moment later, may lead to completely different final outcomes.

Queen Zhao did not bother to exchange any more courtesies with Guo Kai and went straight back to the harem. Although the harem was her territory, she could not leave for long at this moment. She really could not afford any risk at the moment.

In the bedroom, King Yan of Zhao lay on the sickbed with a pale face and lifeless eyes. He had overdrawn his body and now faced the greatest revenge. His body was now completely empty.

The physical weakness and the grief, anger and shock in his heart tortured him and consumed his little energy.

King Yan of Zhao is now afraid. He is not afraid of the Qin army, but he is afraid of being laughed at by the world. When he thinks of how he was fooled by the Qin this time, he can hardly suppress the fear in his heart.

I must live, only by living can I have a chance to wash away the humiliation on my body. If I die at this moment, I will really become a laughing stock for all eternity. Thinking of this, King Zhao Yan became more energetic. He was a man who was sensitive, inferior and even proud. He would never allow himself to die with a permanent infamy.

So when Queen Zhao told him that he could also transfer troops from Jibei County, King Zhao Yan suddenly saw hope, and even gained some strength in his body: "Jibei County does have 20,000 available soldiers. Yang Chong was able to become a general of the Kingdom of Han in less than a year. He has the ability. But it may not be easy to transfer him, especially at this moment."

"Everything Yang Chong did was for the purpose of restoring his country. If the king promises to help him restore his country, I think he will be willing to send troops." Queen Zhao said.

"The world has changed, people's hearts have changed, nothing can be trusted, only interests are eternal. You are right. If you want to mobilize him, all reputations are false, only interests are real." Zhao Wangyan thought, and felt his head a little heavy. He really didn't have enough energy at the moment.

"Anyang was originally the territory of Qi, and Yecheng was given to Your Majesty by Wei not long ago. Now the two places are under siege by the Qin army and are in danger of collapse. Why doesn't Your Majesty give the nine cities of Ye to Yang Chong? In this way, Yang Chong will have no reason not to fight to the death with the Qin army? You must know that the population of Jibei County is limited. Yang Chong has squeezed out the potential of Jibei County and has only assembled an army of 20,000 people. How can these people swallow up Qi? He must need more people and cities." Queen Zhao suggested.

Chapter 206 I also have the potential to be a famous general

Yecheng? Anyang?

King Yan of Zhao thought that these two places were different from places like Jibei County. Because Jibei County had numerous rivers and was located in the lower reaches of the Yellow River and the Jishui River, it was prone to floods and mudflats, and there was not much real arable land. Therefore, it was a sparsely populated area. Therefore, although it had a radius of hundreds of miles, its population was not as important as the nine cities in Ye, which had a radius of barely a hundred miles.

He was really unwilling to agree to give the nine cities of Ye to Yang Chong, even though Yang Chong was still a vassal of Zhao in name.

Those were his cities, and he couldn't bear to leave them.

King Yan of Zhao was determined to expand his territory, and had not yet gained much advantage over the State of Yan. He was unwilling to suffer a heavy loss.

“Your Majesty, if we allow the Qin army to attack, the nine cities in Ye will not be able to be defended. Rather than letting Qin take advantage of it, it is better to give it to Yang Chong. After all, at least in name, he is still your subject. Then it will be much easier for you to take back the nine cities in Ye. Besides, the few soldiers under Yang Chong may not be able to really repel the Qin army. At that time, it will still depend on your army to repel the Qin army.” Seeing that King Zhao Yan was hesitant, Queen Zhao persuaded him, feeling helpless. It was already this time, and King Zhao Yan was still thinking about these things.

"What the queen said makes sense. The most important thing now is to stop the Qin army's attack. As long as we can hold out until the main force arrives to support us, the Qin army will never be able to gain any advantage over me." Zhao Wangyan's hesitation turned into determination. He had no better choice at the moment.

The messenger from Handan soon appeared in Raoan City, but this messenger surprised Yang Chong. It was Guo Kai. As the prime minister of Zhao State, Guo Kai actually became a messenger.

"I also ask the Governor Yang to send troops as soon as possible. The king promises that as long as the Governor Yang can stop the attack of the Qin army and repel the Qin army, he will grant the nine cities in Ye to the Governor Yang and change Jibei County to Jixi County." Guo Kai, who lowered his own status, persuaded sincerely.

"How is the health of King Zhao?" After putting away the order, Yang Chong did not express his opinion directly, but asked directly about the physical condition of King Zhao Yan.

"Your Majesty is slightly ill, it's no big deal." Guo Kai replied casually. He didn't know why Yang Chong asked this, so he could only answer conservatively.

"As far as I know, that's probably not the case. I heard that the king is already terminally ill, and it happened this year?" Yang Chong directly exposed Guo Kai's lie. When the Qin army attacked Zhao, his greatest benefit was not to snatch food from the Qin, but to take advantage of the opportunity of the succession of the throne of Zhao to borrow the 'land' that Zhao had seized from Qi in recent years. In later generations, there was Liu Bei who borrowed Jingzhou, so why can't there be Yang Chong who borrowed Jixi in this world? As for whether to return it or not, is there any need to say it?

"Rumors, all rumors." Guo Kai wanted to be stubborn, but he was still in doubt. The news that Zhao Wangyan was seriously ill was a top secret. Even in Handan, not many people knew about it. How did Yang Chong know about it? Could it be that Yang Chong had a "collaborator" in Handan?

"Prime Minister, it's meaningless to say that. Since I said so, it must be because I have received accurate information." Yang Chong leaned back strategically to show his attitude.

Guo Kai looked at Yang Chong in doubt. He realized that Yang Chong was not deceiving him, but Yang Chong had really received the confirmed news. But where did Yang Chong's news come from? Who in Handan wanted to cooperate with Yang Chong?

Countless thoughts flashed through Guo Kai's mind at once, and names popped up in his mind, eventually converging on one person: the former crown prince, Zhao Jia, the eldest son of King Zhao Yan.

"Is County Magistrate Yang in touch with the eldest son?" Guo Kai's expression had turned solemn. If this was true, he might not be able to ask Yang Chong to send troops this time.

"Now I am asking the Prime Minister, not the Prime Minister asking me." Yang Chong's words no longer had the enthusiasm from before, only indifference.

Yang Chong's transformation made Guo Kai more confident in his judgment. For a moment, the prime minister's heart sank to the bottom, and things became more complicated. If that person really tried to win over Yang Chong, then he would not be sure to convince Yang Chong to send troops.

"The king's health is not good, and it can even be said that he is terminally ill." Since Yang Chong already knew the news, Guo Kai had no choice but to admit it. There was no point in hiding it any further, except for being looked down upon.

"So why is the Prime Minister here in Jibei instead of in Handan, where he is eyeing the throne?"

Of course Yang Chong had to send troops, but he couldn't just do it like that. The crisis of Guo Kai and Queen Zhao was his bargaining chip. The more serious the crisis was, the more bargaining chips Yang Chong had.

As for the eldest prince Zhao Jia, of course it was fake. Yang Chong had no connection with the last King Dai of Zhao State. The reason why he guided Guo Kai to think of this person was just to increase his own importance.

Yang Chong was telling Guo Kai that if he wanted me to send troops, he had to offer more bargaining chips than Zhao Jia. As for what Zhao Jia's conditions were, Yang Chong could make them up on the spot.

“As long as Lord Yang can send troops to resolve the crisis in Yecheng and help the prince ascend the throne, Zhao will definitely fully support Lord Yang in restoring his country in the future.” Guo Kai said.

"But this is not enough." Yang Chong shook his head.

"We can lend the former Qi territories such as Pingyuan and Dong'e to Lord Yang as the territory for him to restore his country. As for when to return it, it will be up to Lord Yang's wishes." Guo Kai gritted his teeth and offered a very big gamble. Anyway, he was not the one who paid.

Now he only wants Yang Chong to send troops and let Yang Chong escort the queen's son to the throne.

"Look, isn't this easy to say? The Prime Minister and I are old friends, and we have cooperated more than once. Why can't we just say it straight to the point?" Yang Chong said with a bright smile.

"Yes, we are old friends. Lord Yang must help me this time!" Guo Kai also put on a smiling face. Although he was being controlled by Yang Chong throughout the whole process, he could no longer care about anything else now.

Only by ensuring that the crown prince ascended the throne could he survive. If Zhao Jia ascended the throne, what would be his fate? Guo Kai simply couldn't imagine what would happen if Zhao Jia, who had always been at odds with him, became the King of Zhao. Not to mention keeping his power, even a good end would probably be a luxury.

"We are friends. If a friend is in trouble, how can I not help him? Prime Minister, don't worry. I have already mobilized the troops and they will be dispatched tomorrow." Yang Chong said

He had been waiting for this war for a long time, and the troops had already been mobilized.

"Thank you so much." Guo Kai looked at Yang Chong and said thank you, but he was thinking about something else in his heart.

It is not easy to mobilize troops from a county, but Yang Chong said that the troops could be dispatched tomorrow. Obviously, Yang Chong had already made preparations before he came to Raoan.

But, is his preparation for Zhao Jia or for me? Guo Kai did not dare to think deeply about this, because no matter which reason it was, it was not too good for him, and now his goal has been achieved. As for Yang Chong's plan, it is no longer important.

Guo Kai didn't want to delve into what Yang Chong could get from this transaction, nor did he care. He just wanted to know what he could get from this transaction. This was the mentality a businessman should have.

After negotiating the terms with Yang Chong, Guo Kai did not dare to stay any longer and returned directly to Handan. Because King Zhao Yan was seriously ill and the situation in Handan was not so good, at this critical moment, he was already taking a huge risk by coming to Raoan. Now that his goal had been achieved, he naturally did not dare to stay any longer.

"Will he fulfill his promise? It was the prime minister who promised you, but the final decision lies with King Zhao." After Guo Kai left, Zi Nu walked into the study. She had heard the conversation between the two just now.

"Once King Yan of Zhao dies, Queen Zhao and Guo Kai will have to rely on themselves. These two don't have a very good reputation in Zhao, and their foundation is not strong enough. If they want to stabilize Zhao Qian's throne, external forces like me are indispensable. By then, it will not be up to them. After all, compared to those people in Zhao, I, an outsider, am actually more reliable." Yang Chong said.